Cup of China as seen on TV

I haven't seen my tape yet because I was stuffing myself with turkey. I did catch the Ladies SP, however before the competition finished.

I saw AP skate one beautiful routine in the style I expected her to. She was quite effective with that beautiful Katchachurian number. Since we know the overall results, I don't think Swan Lake is her forte. Too late to change now.

When AP skates the way she can, she is definitely podium material. Her lyricism, imo, is second to none.

I forgot I did see Vikotria and was happy to see her consistent but she has never impressed me as one with the music. It was no better than when she put nothing into Gone With The Wind. However, her elegance is really something special, she looked great in that dress.

Nobody fall over but I LOVED Fumie's SP! Skating to a string quartet version of the Stones' "Paint It Black," Fumie seemed to be skating with stronger dynamics and more "oomph" for lack of a better word and I thought it suited her beautifully, much better than the rather limp version, IMO, of last year's LP "Swan Lake." Fumie also looked as if she was really enjoying this skate. I thought her facial expressions were more open, her shoulders and upper body more relaxed and expressive, and in general she looked more put together and graceful. I still want to get a hold of her free leg on her spirals and layback spin and get her to turn it out on the spirals and layback, and also straighten the knee on the spirals. But all in all the best I've seen Fumie skate since her exhibition program at Worlds. Good for Fumie!

AP: One word: Stunning.

Yoshi Onda: Looks just a tad heavier than last year, which I think is mostly due to looking less like a little girl and more like a young woman. That's great, but unfortunately I think the more mature look in her body accentuates the lack of polish in her skating. Susie Wynn said something about how great jumpers tend to burst onto the scene and generate a lot of buzz because of their jumping, but it can also take them a while to realize they need a lot more than jumps--and I think that is especialy true with the COP. I've always liked Onda's spirit and athleticism and last season I thought she was able to get away with being unfinished on a lot of things because her jumps, energy, and speed made up for it. Plus she looked so young, there was a kind of tomboyish charm to her skating--kind of like watching "Scout" from "To Kill a Mockingbird" skate. But with maturity, I think Yoshie is going to have to work very hard to pull her style together or else the top of the pack is going to start to pull away from her, IMO. And I'd hate to see that happen because I do like her energy.

Vika: Put that girl in a "Victoria's Secret" catalogue this instant! Even I want to see that girl in a lacy teddy. Obviously ITA that the dress was a winnah and when Vika hits her jumps, there is a kind of stately elegance to her skating that makes me forgive a lot. However the COP does not forgive. Volchkova is amazing to look at on the ice, but somewhat like Onda, though for different reasons, I'm afraid if Vika doesn't make a breakthrough in her skating soon, the top of the pack is going to pull away from her.

MEN
Liked the leader after the SP, Song Gao. He's rough around the edges but I love his essential quality. Nice to see a more lyrical Chinese male skater. And that 4t/3t was one of the prettiest ones I've ever seen.

I think Brian Joubert may go through a "sophomore slump" this season. He's grown some, put on some muscle, and there are other reasons why guys can have trouble with coordination as they go from looking like a teenager to looking like a man. But putting all that aside, it's just very common in all sports that when someone young bursts onto the scene with a great season, they tend to have a tough time living up to that the next season. OTOH, he may be in just the right timeframe to peak for Turino in '06. We'll see...

Speaking of manliness, I think Goebel is looking more like a man now and skating like one too. Forgetting the fall on the 3Axel, I was very impressed by how musically he skated. He gets points with me just for using the Prokofiev version of "Romeo and Juliet." I know that was his SP last season but he hardly had a chance to use it. I'm hoping that now that he seems to have his boot problems under control that this SP will give him the opportunity to try skating with a strong dynamic quality. But even in this subpar performance, I can watch Tim now and see virtually no trace of the awful-postured Goebel of pre-'02 Olympics. And it's nice to hear a skater speak well technically (no garbled words or "South Park" accents) and also be articulate in terms of content. Not that it matters to the COP, but it's just nice not to have to turn the sound off during his interviews, as I do with some of other skaters, at least on tape.

Pairs: I like Pang & Tong and even though Qing lands the throw jumps and is pretty consistent on her triples, she just doesn't have a strong quality to her skating to really match Jian Tong, who I think is one of the most naturally beautiful skaters I've ever seen. Especially in the overhead lifts, I find her positions to look weak--not enough amplitude in the leg positions and not enough extension and energy going through the legs. I like them, but too often my eye is distracted by the weakness of her positions.

Shen & Zhao: Indeed they were going to retire from competition after last season but obviously they and/or the Chinese Federation changed their minds over the summer. I'm glad to see them, but I wonder how long they can keep up this level of competition, especially having worked so hard over the past few years to build up their artistry. I think this might be a slump year for them, relatively speaking, only because Tot/Mar are hungry and new and this is now S/Z's 11th year competiting at the senior level and they've been on the podium at Worlds or the Olympics every year since '98. Plus there's the pressure of representing China's emergence into the elite levels of the sport. Tough stuff. Of course I wish them well. After Xue's skate on that injured knee and what Hongbo said to the press about wanting to melt his medal with hers so he could give it all to Xue, how hard is it to not fall in love with these people?

Dance: I usually like people's hair natural, but I must say Rusalon Goncharov looks so much hotter with straightened hair. I think what Susie Wynn said about them being such nice people, which I've heard from others, and how it might be keeping them from being as competitive as they need to be is a keen observation. At some points in their OD I think, "Nobody better." At other points I think, "Not even close to podium material." Very up and down, yet clearly they have the technical ability to be medal contenders. Just something missing.

Navka and Kostamarov: Again, Susie Wynn's comment about how just physically and the way they carry themselves, they look like World champions. But they also skate like champs. I like the first part of their OD better than the second, but they are very, very good. IMO, the best dance team since Anissina and Peizerat. Interestingly, at least to me, they are puching 30 and apparently the Russian Federation didn't think much of either one back when they were in their early 20s. It also helps that she is one stunning woman.

Which brings me to my rag for the day: There is gorgeous Vika; stunning Navka; beautiful Michelle, AP, Jenny, and Sasha; basically stunning women all over the dance and pairs disciplines. We used to have hot, hot, hot Gwendal Peizerat; what a man, what a man, what a might good man John Zimmerman; temperamental but mmm-baby David Pelltier; and those are just the ones that come immediately to mind--or some other part of my anatomy. So where are the superhot guys this season?! Brian Joubert is a cutie but not a hottie; E-man is exotically handsome but he's not a hunk; Michael Weiss, well, okay, just not my type. It just seems like there is an obvious imbalance in the hot stud department between the men and the women. Is Speedy behind this too!? Where are our male skating hunks? Serious lack of drool factor when it comes to the guys this season, I'm sorry and I'm suspicious. Where have they taken them and more importantly, WHO has taken them?
Rgirl

Originally posted by Rgirl Speaking of manliness, I think Goebel is looking more like a man now and skating like one too. Forgetting the fall on the 3Axel, I was very impressed by how musically he skated. He gets points with me just for using the Prokofiev version of "Romeo and Juliet." I know that was his SP last season but he hardly had a chance to use it. I'm hoping that now that he seems to have his boot problems under control that this SP will give him the opportunity to try skating with a strong dynamic quality. But even in this subpar performance, I can watch Tim now and see virtually no trace of the awful-postured Goebel of pre-'02 Olympics. And it's nice to hear a skater speak well technically (no garbled words or "South Park" accents) and also be articulate in terms of content. Not that it matters to the COP, but it's just nice not to have to turn the sound off during his interviews, as I do with some of other skaters, at least on tape.

What are you talking about? This is the worst mens short program of the year IMO because of the utter lack of choreography and transitions. All he is doing is going from element to element, not to mention that he still had the stiffest back in the competition.

Cheeeeers to Geoble for a program devoid of choreography and transitions!

I understand what you are saying, Thvudragon, but for me this GP series is really a testing ground for nerves, costume fitting, loose boots, new music, new choreography - all being tested for those great big competitions at home and in Dortmund.:D

If you read rGirl's review she doesn't actually write about the mishaps that occurred in the competitions. She rightly points out the plusses in the programs escpecially the improvements from previous years as well as corrective criticisms.

As for the boys in particular, better they make mistakes now than later.

Rgirl Let's hear it for the Midwest! No accent at all; just proper English. That's about all I miss from the IN/OH area though.

Here's my random thoughts on Cup of China
I liked Fumie's SP as well. I thought it suited her skating style and she did look like she was having more fun with it. Hopefully she is having more fun with this season in general. She seemed to have a really rough time with skating last year. She seemed to end with a sigh of relief at getting the World bronze.

ITA agree with everyone on Vika's dress. I thought it was one of the best dresses we have seen on any skater. AP looked wonderful as well.

I am also looking forward to seeing more of Song Gao. He has a very pleasant style developing and I can't wait to see if he can keep that going. It is a nice contrast to the rest of the Chinese men.

Chengjiang Li seems very wooden and stiff in competition. I about fell out of my chair when I saw his 2003 Worlds Exhibition though. The costume was hideous, but he was having so much fun with it. I wish he could bring that feeling to competition with him.

I liked Vika's dress, too. It was very elegant, and looked good on her. But I still think that her skating is mediocre. She doesn't try to hold on to many of the positions, and there's no passion; she just goes through the motions. Rgirl: as for putting her in Victoria Secret catalogue. Well, I agree with what I've read some time ago; that she doesn't seem to know what God gave her that body for. IMO, she moves more like a gawky teenager, right after a sudden growth spurt. I've always thought that she is quite detached from her body. And, IMO, you can see it on the ice perfectly.

From these two, I liked Onda much better; at least she does what she does with vigor. Maybe with too much of it when it comes to her spins; they were so violent (but exciting, nevertheless), it looked like she could hurt herself.

AP: wow. That was something else. Fumie wasn't bad, either.

Song Gao looked very interesting. I've read he had problems with his jumps in the past (triple ones, he didn't have a quad then), so it's even more impressing what he can do now. And he makes it look so easy. The first combination (4/3) was beautiful. And there's some abandonment in his moves, I like that. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the future.

I like Li, at least he's not trying to copy anyone else. Brian has a lot to work on. He's still a very "raw" skater. Tim's artistry's getting better, but I wasn't impressed with his performance (not that it was bad, just "normal").

I love both Chinese pairs. :D Btw, I've been wondering why people don't post their interviews (translated ). I'd love to know more about them. Alexei Tikhonov: please, change the pants of your costume. They look like pajamas, plus it's not the most flattering look for men...

Originally posted by thvudragon What are you talking about? This is the worst mens short program of the year IMO because of the utter lack of choreography and transitions. All he is doing is going from element to element, not to mention that he still had the stiffest back in the competition.

Cheeeeers to Geoble for a program devoid of choreography and transitions!

TV

Oh, I don't agree at all, TV. As for choreography, different strokes for different tastes. Some people do indeed like choreography that is busy, convoluted, ornate, Byzantine, Baroque, call it what you will. These folks liked Bereshnaya and Sikharudlidze at Salt Lake City.

Others like their choreography clean and simple, like Sale and Pelletier at Salt lake City, like Michelle's Aranjuez last year. Michelle presents each element like it is the centerpiece of the whole program, and the overall effect is totally stunning.

Well, Tim is not Michelle. But his arms and posture are improving little by little each year, and his footwork was much more intereresting this year, especially in the long program. So I am not ready to give up on him just yet.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am so totally confused with this awful GP coverage. I keep mixing up the skaters and the competitions. Especially with 2 different broadcasts in one day of different events ... with more coverage to come next week, and the week after ... of those same events!
Anyway ... sorry for the rant.

I thought this was the best I have seen from AP. I was blown away ... and agree her Swan Lake just doesn't get it done.
I liked Fumie, but the music was not what I hoped it would be when I heard she would be skating to Painted Black.
Victoria's dress is gorgeous ... I saw it from the front row at SA and it's even more beautiful in person. I absolutely love her elegance and that gentle quality she has, but agree she doesn't seem to connect with her music. It's really a shame IMO ... her jumps are wonderful, and her body is to die for! I would like to have a body like that for just one day! LOL
Timmy has improved alot, but to me he still has a good way to go. And it concerns me that he seems to be scaling back on the quads because of COP (his words) ... his jumps are his strong point. And with his boot problems ... not a great start to this season.

I adore Shen and Zhao. It's always hard to follow up a performance like at last year's Worlds, but I'm betting they can do it.
I love all the Chinese pairs.

I still have such a hard time figuring out ice dancing. I can't tell among the favored couples who does better in a given performance. I have no clue.

Okay, San Diego is obviously on a different planet than the rest of the country. I taped Cup of China yesterday afternoon, and what I watched when I returned was Mens and ladies LPs. Not a short or a pair or a dance program in sight!

Li has improved a lot this year in the presentation department. He still needs to S-T-R-E-T-C-H more and let himself go, so to speak. Still, much improved. Weaknesses are more glaring in the LP, and this was clearly the case with Song Gao. Jumpwise he did okay, but he got nailed for presentation, or lack thereof.

Fumie took a hard fall on her stomach and pretty much fell apart to a large extent. How she managed to pull off several successful triples after such a fall was really amazing. I was not overly impressed with AP, who fell to 4th. It wasn't her night. I absolutely hate the dress with its swan on the front, which screams "If you don't recognize the music, I'm skating to SWAN LAKE!" Having just watched Oksana skate to this music in Ice Wars, the difference is astounding. Oksana IS the swan; AP flaps LIKE a swan. I loved Amber's program. Beautiful 3/3. If she could get inspired and land all the jumps, it's a very competitive program.

Oh, I don't agree at all, TV. As for choreography, different strokes for different tastes. Some people do indeed like choreography that is busy, convoluted, ornate, Byzantine, Baroque, call it what you will. These folks liked Bereshnaya and Sikharudlidze at Salt Lake City.
Others like their choreography clean and simple, like Sale and Pelletier at Salt lake City, like Michelle's Aranjuez last year. Michelle presents each element like it is the centerpiece of the whole program, and the overall effect is totally stunning.

Hmm..what does that make me than? I loved B&S's programs at SLC, hated S&P's and I loved MK's Aranjuez.